


whatever a sun will always sing is you

by philindas



Series: maybe he's just a man, who means the universe to you [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Jemma is Steve/Peggy's daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5201684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil and Melinda agree to babysit for Steve and Peggy, bringing up a sore subject for the still fairly-newlywed couple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	whatever a sun will always sing is you

**Author's Note:**

> This is so pointless but I needed a little fluff. This verse is now a series so! Stay tuned for more fic set in this cute little universe that I adore. Title is from a poem.

“I wrote the number for the restaurant down in case god forbid something happens to our mobiles, and we shouldn’t be out later than 10:30 so it’s only for a few hours and-” Melinda cuts Peggy off with a gentle hand on her elbow, smiling.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Peggy. We are perfectly capable of watching our goddaughter for four hours,” she reassures her, and they both glance over at where Phil was on the couch, Jemma giggling happily whenever his brought his face into view from behind his hands.

“It’s been so long since Steve and I had a date night, I think I’ve quite forgotten how to do it,” Peggy replies, running a hand haphazardly through her hair. She smiled though, linking her arm through Melinda’s and sighing contentedly. “She’ll probably be hungry again in a bit, she was fussy earlier, so there’s cut up fruit in the fridge.”

“Ready to go, Peg?” Steve asked as he came up behind them, touching Melinda’s arm affectionately as she smiled at him. Peggy’s hand found his as Melinda moved to join her husband on the couch; Steve scooped Jemma up, the little girl squealing happily as she reached for her father. Steve’s forehead gently touched his daughter’s before Peggy leaned in, red lips touching the little girl’s cheek before she brushed away the crimson smear.

“We’ll be back later, darling, but you’ll have lots of fun with your aunt and uncle,” Peggy told her, fingers combing through the golden brown hair on Jemma’s head. “I love you very much.”

Jemma gave a few contented murmurs, giving her mother a sloppy kiss before Steve pressed a kiss to his daughter’s cheek; he deposited her onto the floor, where she immediately crawled back to Phil, handing him one of the toys littering the ground. Phil took the stuffed sun before pulling the little girl into his lap, helping her wave goodbye to her parents as they walked out the door.

“It’s just us now kid,” Phil said as soon as the door was closed, and Jemma giggled, hugging the sun to her chest and falling back into Phil’s chest. “My thoughts exactly.”

Melinda rolled her eyes, fingers brushing over Jemma’s sock-encased foot and smiling at the loud giggle the toddler gave, feet flailing happily. Jemma hid her face in her hands, tucking herself under Phil’s chin and snuggling into him, bright brown eyes peeking out at her as she clutched the toy to her chest.

“That’s a pretty comfy spot, isn’t it? It’s one of my favorites,” Melinda stage whispered, causing Jemma to giggle again as Phil gave her a smile, eyes soft in the corners. “Phil gives pretty great hugs, doesn’t he?”

“Group hug!” Phil called cheerfully, tugging Melinda into his side gently as Jemma reached out towards Melinda; she ended up with her head on her husband’s shoulder and Jemma’s fingers clutching hers as the toddler settled between them two of them. “Perfect.”

Melinda sighed, letting Jemma play with her fingers as her head settled on Phil’s shoulder. They’d been trying to get pregnant for nearly four months, and so far they hadn’t had any success. _There was nothing Phil deserved more to be a dad_ , Melinda thought as she watched him play with Jemma’s baby curls, lips curling into a sad smile. And there was nothing she wanted more than to be someone’s mother.

She didn’t let her thoughts distract her for long, though; Phil pulled her into a game of hide and seek with Jemma, and before long the little girl had tired herself out to the point where she was nearly falling asleep sitting up.

“Come on honey, let’s get some pjs on and go night night,” Melinda said softly, picking Jemma up and cradling the sleepy little girl to her chest. Jemma gave a murmured protest, but her fingers twined in Melinda’s hair as she carried her up the stairs, into the nursery covered in stars. She quickly changed her charge into a pair of princess pajamas and took the small blue bow out of her hair before settling her into her crib, the small stuffed sun still clutched in her fist. “Sweet dreams, Jemma.”

She clicked on the monitor and grabbed the hand held before she slipped back downstairs; Phil was heating up a pasta dish in a skillet, and he smiled when she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before settling down on one of the breakfast bar stools.

“I like seeing you with a baby,” she tells him softly, and he looks over at her with eyes shaded with sadness but warm with love.

“We’re going to be good at this, you know,” he replies, turning back to what he has warming in the skillet and rummaging around until he found where Steve and Peggy’s plates were. “And one day, when we have our own little angel eyes, I will remind you every single day how great we are at being parents.”

He set a plate of food in front of Melinda before he came to sit beside her, fingers lacing through hers before he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved someone in my entire life.”

“I know,” Melinda whispers, voice catching in her throat as she leaned her forehead against Phil’s, biting her lip as emotion swelled inside her, crashing like a wave around her heart, threatening to swallow it up. “It wasn’t supposed to be this hard, Phil.”

“The best things in life never come easy,” is all he can murmur back, stroking her hair with his free hand as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She leaned into him, nose brushing his cheek softly as she gave a small sigh, fingers tightening around his.

“You mean a lot to me,” she whispers back, after a moment, works hitting the corner of his mouth. “A lot.”

They part as the door opens, and Melinda pushes the food around her plate as Phil goes to brief Steve and Peggy on their daughter’s night; she’s doing the dishes when she feels a hand on her shoulder. When she turns it’s Steve looking at her, and she smiles softly, placing the last plate in the drain board.

“Your daughter is an angel,” she tells him, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “You’re very lucky.”

“She’s my whole world,” Steve replies simply, hand squeezing her shoulder. “You’ll know how it feels someday soon, Melinda. I just know it.”

“Thank you Steve,” she murmurs, reaching on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. “We’ll see you for dinner next week.”

She’s quiet on the drive home, following Phil into the house on almost autopilot until he stops her at the foot of the stairs, cupping her jaw in his palm. “I love you, Melinda Coulson.”

She softened, leaning into him until their foreheads touched, noses brushing and barely an inch of space between them before she spoke. “I know.”


End file.
